Nasa aircrafts

SEATTLE — The ongoing partial government shutdown has grounded a NASA aircraft used for astronomical observations amid reviews about how to operate that program in the future. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a Boeing 747 with a 2.5-meter telescope mounted in its fuselage, has been unable able to perform any science flights since the shutdown started Dec. 22, project officials said during a town hall session about the program Jan. 8 during the 233rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) here. "We know we've lost flight opportunities in Cycle 6, and I apologize to the [principal investigators] who are going to suffer because of this," said Harold Yorke, director of SOFIA science mission operations at the Universities Space Research Association, at the meeting, referring to the ongoing program of observations that SOFIA was carrying out. The situation with SOFIA stands in contrast with NASA spacecraft missions, which are able to … [Read more...] about Shutdown Grounds NASA’s Airborne Observatory

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has broken the world record for the closest approach to the sun ever achieved by a man-made spacecraft — and it's not stopping yet.The probe surpassed the previous record of 26.55 million miles from the star's surface on Monday October 29 at around 1:04 pm ET.The previous record was held by the Helios 2 craft, which was launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force station in 1976.The Parker Solar Probe is now expected to continue its approach, passing through the corona, or the sun's outer atmosphere, next week, reaching within 15 million miles of its surface. It will continue to break its own record over the next seven years, carrying out 24 close approaches, reaching within 3.83 million miles from the sun by 2024."It's been just 78 days since Parker Solar Probe launched, and we've now come closer to our star than any other spacecraft in history," Andy Driesman, from the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, said in a statement."It's … [Read more...] about NASA breaks world record of getting closest to the sun

NASA has discovered an incredible mile long, perfectly rectangular iceberg floating in the Antarctic. They shared a striking image of the giant block, known as a tabular berg, after it was captured off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, near the Larsen C ice shelf. Experts reckon the iceberg's "sharp angles and flat surface indicate that it probably recently calved from the ice shelf". Nasa also shared a picture of a perfectly triangular block of ice found nearby and taken on the same trip, Operation Icebridge. The study is the largest airborne survey of Earth's polar ice ever flown, taking 3-D images and keeping track of sea ice thickness. NASA ice scientist Kelly Brunt said Tabular icebergs come about via a process “a bit like a fingernail growing too long and cracking off at the end”. Operation Icebridge use a highly specialized fleet of research aircraft to capture the images. A Nasa spokesman said: "It will yield an unprecedented three-dimensional view of … [Read more...] about NASA discovers incredible MILE-long perfectly rectangular iceberg floating in the Antarctic

From his career as a test pilot to his famous first steps on the moon, Neil Armstrong donned all kinds of interesting outfits at work. While filming the new Armstrong biopic "First Man," lead actor Ryan Gosling got to look and feel like the real Neil while wearing some of the astronaut's most iconic suits. In an interview at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Gosling told reporters that he had "a lot of appreciation and admiration for the suits themselves and the way they had been made." When real NASA astronauts were on the set, he said they all gave the authentic-looking spacesuit replicas "the seal of approval ... and that felt good." Using archival images from a NASA database, costume designer Mary Zophres said she "was able to research exactly what the astronauts were wearing at any given time," according to a statement by Universal Pictures, the studio behind the film. "NASA's database is like a treasure trove of information," Zophres said. "We go from X-15 to Gemini V to … [Read more...] about Suiting Up for ‘First Man’: Ryan Gosling Digs His Authentic NASA Spacesuits

Oct 11, 2:47 AM EDT Newsletter Signup BusinessTechnologyWorldNationalMedia & CultureOpinionSportsLuxury Business By Joey Roulette 10/11/18 AT 12:37 AM Boeing Co is building the largest rocket in NASA's history but the aerospace giant's "poor performance" has resulted in an $8.9 billion price tag that is double the initial budget and could further delay the launch, the U.S. space agency's watchdog office said on Wednesday.The first test launch of the Space Launch System rocket, which is supposed to send humans to the moon and ultimately allow deep space exploration, was most recently slated for mid-2020 with a crew launch to follow in 2022. The launches have been delayed at least three times.NASA's Inspector General said in an audit that "management, technical and infrastructure issues driven by Boeing's poor performance" had led to delays and cost overruns, raising questions about the future launch timetable. Delivery of the program's first core stage has already … [Read more...] about Boeing Rocket For NASA Over Budget, Could Further Delay Launch: Audit